Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Tire Builders
Occupation · SOC 51-9197.00
Operate machines to build tires.
Also called: Retread Technician · Tire Builder · Tire Retreader · Tire Technician · Buffer · Recapper · Retread Associate · Retreader · Tire Assembler · Tread Builder Operator · Automobile Tire Builder (Auto Tire Builder) · Automobile Tire Recapper (Auto Tire Recapper)
Job family: Production Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-51-9197-00/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- About average employment outlook (+2.3% by 2034)
- 2,500 openings/yr
- Low AI exposure
- Median pay $55,580/yr
- Work is mostly on-site (not teleworkable)
- 2013 flagged this for computerization (86th); today's AI task-overlap is comparatively low (1st)
1st-percentile task overlap — yet about 2,500 openings a year (+2.3% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →
AI & job outlook
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Exposure to current AI
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Low | 4th | -1.6 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Low | 6th | 0.0 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Low | 2nd | 0.0 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.0), with simple added tooling (β 0.0), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.0). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.
Mixed signals. Today's AI/LLM studies show relatively low exposure for this job, but the older (2013) Frey–Osborne work rated it higher for computerization and robotics. Different eras, different technologies — the AI measures above reflect the current state.
Historical automation estimate (2013)
A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
Frey–Osborne probability 0.9 · 86th percentile among occupations · High
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | About average · +2.3% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 2,500 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 20,900 → 21,400 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
Tire Builders sits at the 28th percentile of 427
occupations on the global GenAI task-exposure gradient
— exposure rose from 2023 to 2025. Each dot is one occupation; the
ringed one is this work. Exposure is task overlap, not automation or jobs lost.
18% mean task exposure (2025)
28th percentile of 427 placed occupations
+1 pts shift 2023 → 2025
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Rubber Products Machine Operators · 8141 | 18% | Not exposed |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
Tasks
All 23 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Place tires into molds for new tread. Supplemental · importance 4.8
- Fit inner tubes and final layers of rubber onto tires. Supplemental · importance 4.8
- Buff tires according to specifications for width and undertread depth. Supplemental · importance 4.7
- Build semi-raw rubber treads onto buffed tire casings to prepare tires for vulcanization in recapping or retreading processes. Core · importance 4.6
- Brush or spray solvents onto plies to ensure adhesion, and repeat process as specified, alternating direction of each ply to strengthen tires. Supplemental · importance 4.6
- Start rollers that bond tread and plies as drums revolve. Supplemental · importance 4.6
- Align treads with guides, start drums to wind treads onto plies, and slice ends. Supplemental · importance 4.6
- Inspect worn tires for faults, cracks, cuts, and nail holes, and to determine if tires are suitable for retreading. Supplemental · importance 4.5
- Measure tires to determine mold size requirements. Supplemental · importance 4.5
- Trim excess rubber and imperfections during retreading processes. Core · importance 4.5
- Roll hand rollers over rebuilt casings, exerting pressure to ensure adhesion between camelbacks and casings. Supplemental · importance 4.4
- Fill cuts and holes in tires, using hot rubber. Core · importance 4.4
- Position ply stitcher rollers and drums according to width of stock, using hand tools and gauges. Supplemental · importance 4.4
- Cut plies at splice points, and press ends together to form continuous bands. Supplemental · importance 4.4
- Depress pedals to rotate drums, and wind specified numbers of plies around drums to form tire bodies. Supplemental · importance 4.3
- Clean and paint completed tires. Supplemental · importance 4.3
- Rub cement sticks on drum edges to provide adhesive surfaces for plies. Supplemental · importance 4.1
- Depress pedals to collapse drums after processing is complete. Supplemental · importance 4.0
- Wind chafers and breakers onto plies. Supplemental · importance 4.0
- Pull plies from supply racks, and align plies with edges of drums. Supplemental · importance 3.5
- Activate bead setters that press prefabricated beads onto plies. Supplemental
- Position rollers that turn ply edges under and over beads, or use steel rods to turn ply edges. Supplemental
- Roll camelbacks onto casings by hand, and cut camelbacks, using knives. Supplemental
Work activities
- Assemble tires.
- Inspect items for damage or defects.
- Cut industrial materials in preparation for fabrication or processing.
- Align parts or workpieces to ensure proper assembly.
- Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment.
- Load materials into production equipment.
- Clean workpieces or finished products.
- Apply protective or decorative finishes to workpieces or products.
- Apply solutions to production equipment.
- Fill cracks, imperfections, or holes in products or workpieces.
- Measure product or material dimensions.
- Trim excess material from workpieces.
- Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
- Smooth surfaces with abrasive materials or tools.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Abilities
| Manual Dexterity | 3.8 | |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.6 | |
| Control Precision | 3.6 | |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.6 | |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.5 | |
| Rate Control | 3.5 | |
| Trunk Strength | 3.5 | |
| Near Vision | 3.5 | |
| Extent Flexibility | 3.3 | |
| Selective Attention | 3.1 | |
| Reaction Time | 3.1 | |
| Static Strength | 3.1 | |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.0 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.0 | |
| Stamina | 3.0 | |
| Auditory Attention | 3.0 | |
| Speech Recognition | 3.0 | |
| Oral Expression | 2.9 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 2.9 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 2.9 | |
| Visualization | 2.9 | |
| Information Ordering | 2.8 | |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.8 | |
| Response Orientation | 2.8 | |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.8 | |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.8 | |
| Speech Clarity | 2.8 |
Knowledge
| Production and Processing | 3.7 | |
| Administration and Management | 3.4 | |
| Mechanical | 3.2 | |
| English Language | 2.9 | |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.8 | |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.8 |
Transferable skills
| Operation and Control | 3.3 | |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.1 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.8 | |
| Time Management | 2.8 |
Essential skills
| Active Listening | 3.0 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | |
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Tools & technology
| Example | Category | |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Outlook | Electronic mail software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Presentation software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Project | Project management software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Word | Word processing software | Hot technology |
| SAP software | Enterprise resource planning ERP software | Hot technology |
| IBM Lotus Notes | Electronic mail software | |
| Programmable logic controller PLC software | Industrial control software | |
| Web browser software | Internet browser software |
Work context
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
How to get in
- Job zone
- Zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
- Related experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Preparation level
- SVP (Below 6.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.
Education of current workers
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| High School Diploma | 66.5% | |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 26.1% | |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 6.9% | |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 0.5% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Realistic | 7.0 | |
| Conventional | 3.8 | |
| Investigative | 2.3 | |
| Social | 1.1 |
Interest areas
Work styles
| Dependability | 2.0 | |
| Attention to Detail | 1.9 | |
| Cautiousness | 1.6 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $39,990 |
| 25th percentile | $48,740 |
| Median (50th) | $55,580 |
| 75th percentile | $65,410 |
| 90th percentile | $70,250 |
| People employed | 20,970 |
Industries that employ this occupation
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing · Sector | 19,800 | $57,040 |
| Retail Trade · Sector | 600 | $39,450 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | 170 | $40,170 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | — | $36,640 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | — | $36,640 |
Where this work is most concentrated
Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing · Sector | 11.41× | 19,800 |
| Retail Trade · Sector | 0.28× | 600 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | 0.21× | 170 |
Related occupations
Part of the Advanced Manufacturing career cluster.
- Tire Repairers and Changers · 49-3093.00 Compare →
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic · 51-9195.00 Compare →
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · 51-4072.00 Compare →
- Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators · 51-2051.00 Compare →
- Engine and Other Machine Assemblers · 51-2031.00 Compare →
- Foundry Mold and Coremakers · 51-4071.00 Compare →
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand · 51-9022.00 Compare →
- Automotive Body and Related Repairers · 49-3021.00 Compare →
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters · 51-2041.00 Compare →
- Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · 51-9124.00 Compare →
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers · 51-2011.00 Compare →
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall · 47-2131.00 Compare →
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
What you can do with this
Options the data surfaces for Tire Builders — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- High school diploma or equivalent · typical entry level
- Job zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed · preparation tier
Zoom out
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 28th percentile of 427 international occupations.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Tire Builders show 1st-percentile AI task overlap — and about 2,500 annual U.S. openings
- Tire Builders rank in the 1st percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 2,500 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be about average (+2.3%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $55,580, across about 20,970 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Tire Builders show 1st-percentile AI task overlap — and about 2,500 annual U.S. openings • Tire Builders rank in the 1st percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 2,500 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be about average (+2.3%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $55,580, across about 20,970 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) Source: Singulariki — "Tire Builders". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-9197-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Plain
Singulariki. "Tire Builders." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-9197-00
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Tire Builders. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-9197-00
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-51-9197-00,
title = {Tire Builders},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-9197-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.